Life Insurance Life Insurance Awareness Month: How insurers are making it easier to get coverage Written by Karen Terry Karen Terry Karen Terry leads the Individual Product Research team, developing and implementing LIMRA's research program for individual life, disability, long-term care and critical illness insurance products in the U.S. and Canada. Reviewed by Nupur Gambhir Nupur Gambhir Nupur Gambhir is a content editor and licensed life, health, and disability insurance expert. She has extensive experience bringing brands to life and has built award-nominated campaigns for travel and tech. Her insurance expertise has been featured in Bloomberg News, Forbes Advisor, CNET, Fortune, Slate, Real Simple, Lifehacker, The Financial Gym, and the end-of-life planning service. Posted on: September 20, 2024 Why you can trust Insure.com Quality Verified At Insure.com, we are committed to providing the timely, accurate and expert information consumers need to make smart insurance decisions. All our content is written and reviewed by industry professionals and insurance experts. Our team carefully vets our rate data to ensure we only provide reliable and up-to-date insurance pricing. We follow the highest editorial standards. Our content is based solely on objective research and data gathering. We maintain strict editorial independence to ensure unbiased coverage of the insurance industry. September is Life Insurance Awareness Month, and if you currently don’t have coverage, this is a great time to think about adding it to your financial plan. Fortunately, purchasing life insurance has never been easier. Here are a few ways insurance carriers and their distributors have made the process simpler. Automated and simplified underwriting Traditionally, buying life insurance requires long application forms, lab tests, and statements from your primary care provider. While some policies still require these steps, many insurance companies have worked to simplify the process. A lot of application forms are now shorter and more intuitive, using a reflexive format that adjusts the application questions based on your previous answers. Using this format, the application skips questions that don’t apply to you to make the process more efficient. You may also be able to skip the medical exam and physician’s statements if you meet certain age and health requirements. Not all policies offer this application process. Simplified products Life insurance can be complicated. Products like term life insurance are fairly simple and easy to understand. Other permanent products, which last for your entire life and often build cash value (money that accumulates and may be available to you in times of need), can come with a lot of complex options and riders. Recognizing that these policies may be too complex for certain financial situations, some companies offer simpler permanent products with basic coverage and only a few options. One product – multiple needs You need life insurance, but what about disability or long-term-care needs? We often hear about the financial cost of caring for an aging population, including older parents and spouses. Some insurance companies offer life insurance products that provide both life and long-term care insurance in one product. You may even be able to find a product with life, disability and long-term-care insurance, so your policy will cover your needs as they evolve over time. Online quoting Another hurdle can be finding an agent to work with. We live in a digital world, and online resources have grown along with the overall shift to digital. Insurance companies offer pricing information about their products on their websites, and many also provide tools to connect you with a financial advisor. If you are in the market for term life insurance there are many sites where you can get a quote and apply online. There are also online-only companies where you can purchase a policy instantaneously. Other cool benefits Are you in the market for a new Apple Watch? Some insurance companies offer wellness benefits, including discounts on gym memberships and trackers like an Apple Watch or Ring, in exchange for tracking healthy habits such as exercise and getting enough sleep. If you stick with the program, you may even be able to lower your life insurance premium. Others are exploring offering cancer screening and genetic testing for other diseases. The life insurance industry is evolving in ways that make buying life insurance simpler, with new, innovative benefits and products that are easier to understand. Take the time this September to investigate these new trends and finally buy that life insurance policy you’ve been considering. × Get Free Life Insurance Quotes Today! Zip Code Please enter valid zip Age Age 16 – 20 21 – 24 25 – 34 35 – 44 45 – 54 55 – 64 65+ Coverage Amount Coverage Amount $50,000 – $100,000 $100,000 – $200,000 $200,000 – $300,000 $400,000 – $500,000 $500,000 – $1,000,000 $1,000,000 – $2,000,000 $2,000,000 – $5,000,000 $5,000,000+ Coverage Type Coverage Type Whole Life Term Life Final Expense Not Sure Gender Gender Male Female Non-Binary Tobacco Use Yes No Compare Quotes Karen Terry . .Karen Terry leads the Individual Product Research team, developing and implementing LIMRA's research program for individual life, disability, long-term care and critical illness insurance products in the U.S. and Canada. Related Articles The different types of term life insurance policies explained By Nupur Gambhir What is universal life insurance? 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